Elevating grader



Aug. 22, D WALLACE 1,924,054 I ELEVAT I NG GRADER Filed March 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J c H- Wli lllw Patented Aug. 22, 1 933 UI'TED STATES ELEVATING GRADER Floyd D. Wallace, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to J. D. Adams Manufacturing Company, Indianapolis, Ind., a Corporation of Indiana Application March 26, 1932. Serial No. 601,351

" 7 Claims. (o1. s7 110) My invention relates to'elevatin'g graders and is particularly concerned with the manner in which the plow-beam of such a grader is mounted.

It is the object of my invention to provide for the plow-beam a mounting'whichgwhilecapable of adjustment to vary the position of the'plow, will nevertheless rigidly hold the plow in any desired position of adjustment. A further'object of 'my invention is to produce a plow-beam placement of the plow owing to irregularities in the surface of the ground over which the grader runs will be lessened. Still another object of my invention is to ,produce a plow-beam mounting by means of which the plowmay be made to cut to greater depth with greater stability than-can be secured with prior plow-beam mountings of i which I am aware.

In carrying out my invention, I provide the 20 grader with a front axle which is capable of movement relatively to the grader frame in a generally vertical plane. The plow is carried by the plow beam near one side of the grader frame at a point opposite the belt conveyor on to which 5 it throws the furrow it turns. From the point V at which the plow is attached to the plowbeam,

the plow-beam extends generallyfforwardly and inwardly to a point adjacent the center of the front axle of the grader. Instead ofconnecting 30 the front end of the plow-beam to the grader frame, as has been done in all prior elevating" v discharge. From the point on'the plow-beam 26 graders of which I am aware, I connect the plowbeam directly to the front axle, preferably close to the point at which draft is applied to the front axle.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an elevating grader embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view illustrating in plan the construction of the front axle which I prefer to employ; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the grader; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the grader with parts thereof broken away to illustrate in section some details of the front-axle mounting; and Fig. 5 is an end elevation'of the front axle and associated parts.

The grader illustrated in the drawings embodies a generally rectangular mainframe supported at one end by front wheels 11 and at the other end by rear wheels 12. Preferably, the front wheelsll are mounted on steering knuckles 13 which are pivoted on vertical axes to the ends of a front axle 14. The steering knuckles 13 are interconnected by a tie rod 15 to which, near its mid point, there is attached one end of an arm 16 which is pivotally mounted on a vertical axis mounting through the use of which vertical dispending leg 20 to the lower end of which the on the front axle. The front end of the arm 16' is connected to the tongue 17'through which the grader is drawn. I The front axle '14 is-preferably connected to the main frame 10 on a horizontal axis in order that it may have'a certain amount of generally vertical movement relatively thereto. For this purpose, there is mounted on the front end of the main frame 10 near one side thereof a defront axle 14 is pivoted as by means of a pivot bolt 21. The opposite end of the front axle is guided in its vertical movement by being received between two'guide bars ZZ'WhlOh depend from the main frame 10. Bumper springs 23 associat- 7 ed with the free endof the front axle. 1e and co-operating with an abutment 24 between the guide bars 22 serve to limit vertical movement of the axle. f Those details of the machine which have so far been described form no part of my invention, and may be varied without departing from my invention. In embodying my invention in a grader of the general type described I mount the plow 25, which so is usually in the form of a concave disk, upon a fp1ow-bea'm26. -The plowbeam is. arranged to support the plow near one side of the machine in a position where it will throw, earth upon a belt conveyor 27 which extends transversely of the machine and upwardly to an elevated point of at which the plow 25 is secured to it, the plowbeam extends generally forwardly and inwardly, terminating at about the middle and in rear of the front axle 14.

As previously indicated, I contemplate that the front end of the plow-beam 26 will be attached directly to the front axle, but the direct attachment of the front end of the plow-beam to the front axle is not essential as it maybe otherwise connected to the frame of themachine. For this purpose, I mount on the rear face of the front axle two vertically spaced plates 30 having a series of alined holes 31. Each pair of alined holes 31 is adapted to receive a bolt or pin 32" which passes through the eye of an eye-bolt 33 pivotally mounted on an axis longitudinal of itself at the front end of the plow-beam 26.

The lateral reactions at the rear endof the plow-beam 26 are'transmitted to the frame of the grader through the medium ofa thrust bar 35 which is pivotally connected to the rear end of the plow-beam 26 on a generally vertical axis. 7, From its point of connection-at the rear end of 110 the plow-beam the thrust bar 35 extends across the grader frame and at its opposite end is adapted for attachment to the grader frame. Preferably, the end of the thrust bar 35 is provided with a series of spaced holes 36 any of which is adapted to receive a pin 37 mounted in a suitable bracket 38 on the grader'frame. The series of holes 36 permit the plow to bead'ju'sted to- Ward or away from; the celt conveyor 43-? as may be desired. The fit of the pin 3'? in the holes 36 is loose enough to permit angular movement of the thrust bar incident to vertical -adjustment of the plow. 7

Vertical adjustment of plow maybesecu'i'ed by any desired means. Inthe drawings, I have illustrated this vertical-adjusting means "as coinprising a chain one end of which is secured to the grader frame 16. The chain passes around a sheave il attached to the plow-beam 2'6 and thence -to suitable winding mechanism l2 by means of which the plow beamand theplow may be raised or lowered as desired.

; By the construction described, the resistance of the-plowto forward movement is applied directlyto the front axle and thence to t he tcng'ue, and

' is'notimposed upon the frame. The mounting of the front-axle in the mainframe is there by freed from large stresses whicl'rwould otherwise be imposed upon it. 'In addition, I ,find that with theplow-beam connected directly to lie front axle as above set forth the maximum depth to whichlthe plow can cut before being forced from the ground is materially increased. I believethis latter characteristic to be largely due to the fact'that the front end of the plow-beam is held in predetermined vertical position rather than'being supported by which permit it to float vertically under the effect of the varying forces to which the plow is subjected when the machine is in operation, as is the case in most commercial elevating graders oi which I am aware.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an elevating gradena main frame, a-front axle mounted for vertical movement relatively thereto, a plow-beam having its front end secured to said-axleatan-intermediatepoint thereon, a plow mounted -on said plow-beam, and

means for adjusting the rear end of said plowbeam vertically, and an adjustable means for positioning said plow-beam laterally of said main frame.

' In an elevating grader, -a main frame, a

front axle mounted for vertical-movement relatively thereto, a plow-beam, means for securing the front end of said plow-beam to said'front axle at any of a plurality of points thereon, a plow mounted on said plow-beam, means for adjusting the rear end of said plow-beam vertically, and an adjustable means for positioning said plowbeam laterally of-said mainframe.

3. In an elevating grader, a main frame, a

front axle mounted for vertical movement relatively thereto, a rigid plow-beam having a rear portion extending generally longitudinally of said to said axle-at an intermediate point thereon, a

plow mounted on said ploW-beam,iand adjustable means'ffor positioning therear end of said plow laterally.

5. 'In an elevating grader, a main frame, a front axle mounted for vertical movement relatively 'the're'to,-a plow-beam having its front end secured to said axleat an'interm'edi'ate point" thereon for vertical'and'lateral movement, a plow mounted on said plow bea'mjand a dra'ftconnec- 'tion attac'hed'to saidiront near @the point at which the plow-beam is secured thereto.

6. In an elevating graden-a main frame, afro'nt axle mounted for vertical movement relatively thereto, a plow beam having its front end secured-to said axle at anintermediatepoint there.- on for vertical and lateral movement, a plow mounted on said plow-beam, and a draft connectionattached to said iront-axle- In an elevating grader, a mainframe, a

front axle mounted "for vertical movement relatively thereto,-a supporting sub frameliaving its front end secured to said axle at an'intermediate point thereon and its rear endpivo'tally connected to said main frame-a plow mounted on said sub-frame and located longitudinally of the grader between the .pointsat which the sri'oframe isconnected respectivelytothe front axle" and main frame-means for adjusting saidsub frame vertically, and an adjustable means for positioning saidrplow laterally of said mainframe.

FLGYD CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,924,054. August 22, 1933.

FLOYD D. WALLACE.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numoered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 100, claim 4, for "plow" read "plow-beam"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office,

Sign d and sealed this 26th day of September, A. I). 1933.

F. M. Ho kins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

